Reloading Accuracy

[Hondo 60]

I'm fairly new to reloading. I've been doing it for just a few months.

I've told some friends about how much more accurate I am with with hand loads vs factory ammo.

This inevitably leads to the question of why! And I don't have an answer. Are the bullets (projectiles) not of a consistent weight? Is the volume of powder per round inconsistent? The crimp? What is it about the factory ammo that's so different from reloaded stuff?



What I do know is that I'm reloading .38 spl with 4.4 gr of titegroup. I keep my brass separated by brand & number of times reloaded, and I've used 125gr JHP from speer, hsm & hornady.

So what's your take on this?

 

[Wilburt]

Well in general, Factory ammunition is made to fit all chambers. The ammunition that you reload can be trailered to fit YOUR chamber. This can give the reloader an edge.

Also recoil can have an effect. If your recoil sensitive then your loads can be lighter allowing more precise/faster follow-up shots.

When you start to get into reloading for rifle, the fitting the ammunition to the chamber, lands, etc become much more detailed.

 

[Kernel]

Perhaps it's you. Reloading saves costs and let's you practice more. Practice makes perfect. And/or perhaps it's psychological. You have more confidence due to shooting your own handloads.

 

[twofifty]

The commercial ammo I've shot in several calibers has generally been remarkably consistent in its accuracy, whether that be Remington, Federal or Winchester.
I think the manufacturers sell a good product.

Wouldn't it be interesting to visit a factory and see how primers are seated, powder measured and bullets seated and crimped, by the tens of thousands per hour?

 

[Slamfire]

I shot cases of 38 Special factory reloads, then I reloaded those cases and shot my reloads.

My reloads leaded less because I used cast, instead of the factory swaged bullets.

The factory JHP shot just as well as my reloads.

Really good factory ammo shoots really good.

Quality factory ammo is good stuff. Just costs too much.

Thats why I reload.

 

[Hondo 60]

Maybe it's practice with my guns. But I definitely noticed a big accuracy jump going from factory ammo to hand loaded.

Would I have seen that jump if I'd continued to use factory ammo? hmmm interesting possibility.

Slamfire - I agree on the cost. That's the main reason I started reloading as well.

Anyway - thanks all for the input.

 

[ranger335v]

Anyone getting better rifle accuracy quickly from reloads is lucky, period.

The factorys do a good job and know a LOT about how to load in the proper pressure range to obtain a good burn rate. So, if we happed to stumble onto a good shooting load quickly it isn't automatic that it will happen that way with the next cartridge we load for. Nor that the good load we have for our .303 SuperFAT cartridge will do anywhere nearly as well with another rifle chambered for the same round.

Now, as to WHY, understand that the barrel is a pipe. We tap one end with a 50-60K psi explosion and the whole pipe hums like a tuning fork. A good shooting load exits the unsupported muzzle when it's in the same place, or nearly so. Tuning a load means we are tuning the pitch of those barrel viberations and timing the bullets exit. It's a bit more complex than that but basically that's it.

 

[matrem]

Anyone getting better rifle accuracy quickly from reloads is lucky, period.

If they're using their own once fired cases, and have done some research, I don't agree with that statement.

 

[Slamfire]

Anyone getting better rifle accuracy quickly from reloads is lucky, period.

In my experience, it is hard to improve on or exceed the accuracy of Federal Gold Medal match.

Black Hills match ammunition is outstanding.

But I am talking target ammo. Factory target ammo is too expensive to make a habit of using the stuff.

Hunting ammo, heck if I know. I guess it would depend on the bullet they use.

 

[softail99]

It's amazing what one reads on any of these 'personal opinion' forums. The fact and I say again FACT of the matter is, IF you are consistent in your reloading and have studied reloading procedures and techniques, use good equipment you WILL not avoid have as good as of in most cases better ammo than factory.

When it comes to Rifles it really shows. One thing that is often overlooked in the science of loading for any particular chamber/barrel is that, it's all about vibration. What the end result is getting that projectile to exit the barrel at the same point in the vibration cycle each time.

Now that last statement may be a confusing one but when all of the gravy boiled off, that is what it is all about. Getting there is what you are doing by all of these techniques we use. Distance from lands, powder weight, bullets, brass, primers, presures and runouts to mention a few. FACTS gentlemen!

 

[rfwobbly]

Can't speak for your ammo, but mine shoots better than factory because I kiss each bullet and talk to it before I put in the box.

 

[qajaq59]

Bullets are like anything else. It they are custom built, by a careful craftsman, they are going to be better then a machine made product.

 

[mongoose33]

Anyone getting better rifle accuracy quickly from reloads is lucky, period.

I must have been lucky, then.

And in two rifles, to boot.

My first reloads were .223. An LEO friend and I were shooting and getting smaller groups with my reloads than with commercial ammo. In each of our rifles, M4s.

I've seen the same results with my reloads. When I shot WWB from both my 9mm and .45 XDs, I didn't do as well as with my own reloads.

 

[ranger335v]

"If they're using their own once fired cases, and have done some research, I don't agree with that statement. "

Agreement's not required.

Use any case you wish. Research all you wish. Load a powder type and charge, use a bullet the barrel or seat it at a depth that is doesn't like and the groups will look like a shotgun pattern. There is NO way to predict anything, the only way to find a good load is to try until you find something that works.

Anyone who finds a good load quickly is plain lucky.

 

[jenrob]

Anyone getting better rifle accuracy quickly from reloads is lucky, period.

If they're using their own once fired cases, and have done some research, I don't agree with that statement.

Gosh I can use my brass that I just shot and still load rounds that will not shoot 1 MOA. I have loaded for a while but some times it takes time to get to where you want.

I have gotten lucky and set-up a load for a friends rifle and the first time was shooting .2MOA

Anyone getting better rifle accuracy quickly from reloads is lucky, period.

In my experience, it is hard to improve on or exceed the accuracy of Federal Gold Medal match.

Here ya go ranger this proves your point. You can improve on Fed Gold but it takes time. most of the time it's not over night and not cheap. but once you find what works it makes all the difference in the world.

To the OP you found a load that worked better in your rifle than factory. Thing is next time you might not get so luky and end up buying a few boxes of bullets or powder til you find the right combo.

AAfter you do it a few time you will have these on hand just sitting on shelves waiting for you to buy a new rifle to start over again.

 

[Sunray]

"...the question of why?..." It's because you're tailoring the ammo to your revolver. Think in terms of an off the rack suit compared to a tailor made suit.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I have 3 firearms that show better groups with my good handloads than factory ammo.
my Mini30 does better than all factory but the Lapua match and they equal that.
both My Marlin Camp carbines, one the .45acp with Hornady 200gr C/T and the 9mm with Rem Golden Sabre 147gr handloads beat any factory ammo I've shot in them.

 

[qajaq59]

While we are patting ourselves on the back we should also give some kudos to the people that make the factory ammo. Can you imagine tyring to make accurate loads for every 30-30 rifle made in the past hundred years? I don't think I'd want that challenge. I'm surprised that they do it as well as they do.

 

[Greg Mercurio]

ranger335v: Perhaps you should aquaint yourself with Ken Waters. He spent most of his life finding and writing about loads that equalled or exceeded factory loads in both velocity and accuracy.

Pet Loads, Wolfe Publishing

And yes he regularly and loudly praised the factory loads for their consistency and accuracy.

 

[kingmt]

I only reload pistol loads so no experience on rifle yet. When I started reloading my shoots were all over the place. I tried different grain bullets & different amounts of powder until I got better but at times it got worse. I don't know If I got the perfect load but I did get better then the cheep factory rounds. I didn't have 8 different powders to choose from & thankful for that. The only place close to me that had reloading stuff was Walmart & they only had 2 powders & 2 kinds of bullets but not 2 of the same calibers. The did have a few different grains though.

I am thinking of setting up for 30-06 Springfield & stocking up. I haven't reloaded in a few years because when I found something that worked for all of my rounds I started stocking up but now they are winding down & since I lost my records I have to start all over. I can't find primers though. I have been trying for a year.

 

[redneck2]

Wouldn't it be interesting to visit a factory and see how primers are seated, powder measured and bullets seated and crimped, by the tens of thousands per hour?

There's a guy not too far from me that loads commercial ammo. The machinery moves so fast that you can't even watch the individual rounds. Kinda like those shows on TV that show pop or beer being bottled.

When I was starting with my 22-250, I used "the" hand loaders load...38 grains of H-380 seated .010 off. Literally got a one hole group first time out. I've been working with my .204 and not so lucky so far. The only absolute is that there are no absolutes.

 

[ku4hx]

Why? Because you love it and those that don't understand will NEVER understand.

Trying to justify any hobby is like trying to justify a marriage partner, you don't need one, but you sure do love having one.

 

[1SOW]

rfwobbly taught me. I kiss and give my pistol reloads a good rub-down before I put em to work.

Most reloaders can't wait to get out and shoot their 'custom' rounds. That and the $s saved leads to more shooting. Shoot more and you get better. Get better and you enjoy shooting even more.

Ain't it great!

 

[docsleepy]

The initial movement of a rifle barrel is more like a guitar string being plucked, than it is like a vibration. The plucking is the high pressure caused by ignition.

The bullet is likely to be traveling down the pipe while the pipe is moving upwards in that initial twang. Try shooting all the way from very light loads with heavy bullets (low velocity) up to high loads with light bullets (high velocity) all over a chronograph.

The continuous rise in the point of impact is greater than that predicted by the change in velocity, by a long shot. It is due to the position and velocity of the barrel tip itself, when the bullet leaves it. Varmint Al has a website with finite element analysis and very well done little movies that demonstrate it.

I ran the gamut of velocities over a chronograph and verified he was predicting accurately. The goal is to get the bullet down there on the correct "side" of the twang, as it is a much larger movement than the (much later) vibrations.

This is all probably moot in handguns, where the movement of the gun in the hand is a far, far larger effect. Reloading probably just reduces cost there.

My 2 cents worth.